Red Strings and Broken Cages
by tsukurimamika
Summary: "It doesn't matter. If she happens to do something that might endanger the CCG or our squad, I will personally exterminate her." With his eyes a shade darker, his mouth set on a grim line, he was determined to figure out the missing pieces. He didn't expect the conflicts up ahead though. [juuzou,s.]
1. VOLUME O1

❝ _In which th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame Is lust in action;_

 _and till action, lust Is perjur'd, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame._ ❞

-William Shakespeare.


	2. i

**edited; February 27, 2016; 3:09PM**

* * *

 _'Boring.'_

The investigator, Juuzou, stared down at the files piled up on top of the desk, with some edges peeking out and colored sticky notes with designated black-inked names placed on them. He was taking his time dozing off into his own thoughts, not realizing that he had been staring at the papers for a good ten minutes now, while the other investigators were discussing about important manners - in which he should listen and indulge to. Half of him wanted to pay attention to Investigator Houji talk about the rampaging ghouls and their hideouts in the 20th ward where he was previously assigned to, which is a must for him since he's an investigator and a squad leader, and he most likely don't want the last incident to happen again.

Which happened quiet often.

The other half of him wanted to go visit his favorite doughnut shop (after hearing that they had once again released a new product) and end the long meeting. Juuzou had been sitting in the same position - after placing both of his legs on top of the desk once, in which he was scolded immediately, leaning down, looking around at anything that may take his interest, and finishing the remaining candies he had in his pockets.

Most of his day was spent hearing about ghouls, ghouls, and ghouls, which was ironic because his job was to kill the creatures, and he honestly didn't want to listen about them anymore, at least not today because he was fed up and tired - and it was almost time for his afternoon snacks, which he can't have because for one, the state he's currently in, and Hanbee wasn't around. He let his features frown slightly at this. Where was that man when you need him?

He sighed quietly and let his crimson eyes travel from the white desk to the man across from him, specifically, Sasaki Haise. Impressed at the fact that he was able to pay attention to the meeting, he observed the man's appearance, (he's got nothing better else to do anyway) starting from his white hair with black roots sticking out and fading into the remaining color, a proper suit with a white coat (he didn't understand why they should wear those) and down to his intertwined hands placed neatly on top of the papers.

 _'How can he listen to that guy and not get bored?'_

Juuzou was fond of the guy, mainly because he knew him right before he joined the CCG, and because he had stolen his wallet before, in which he returned all the loose changes. He remembered the confused look on Haise's face that day. After that, he had avoided all Hanbee's questions and just went on with his day like nothing happened. It was tiresome to answer him sometimes.

Surprisingly, Haise and him grew close, probably because of the constant meetings they were both in, he thought, but mainly because of the candies he stored in his pockets. It was at that moment, that Juuzou realized that Haise was a kind of guy he would be able to tolerate. Up until now, he still wondered why he would keep them with him. It didn't matter; it was beneficial to him anyway so he wouldn't question his actions anymore.

Juuzou glanced at the clock on the wall, reading that there were still a few minutes left before this cursed meeting would be over. He hung his head low and closed his eyes for a split second before opening them back. He pursed his lips in a tight line as he thought about his former partner, teacher and..father. What would he do in a situation like this? He let out a small chuckle and smiled slightly. He'd probably scold him for not paying close attention, along with the lines of _'...it's for your own good, you know.'_

He looked up slightly and placed his head on top of the desk, earning a slight thump and tilting it so that it was resting down the hard wood, not minding the stares he was receiving. Maybe he could visit the hospital and replace those rotting flowers he gave him a week ago. But then there was a possibility that he could bump into his wife and he wasn't ready for another confrontation again with her. It was enough that he wasn't able to save and protect Shinohara like he should've done. He shook the thought off, not wanting to reminisce the incident again.

He turned his attention to the red stitches across his arms. The design wasn't the same as before but it was still there. Before, the stitches would cover his arm in a spiral motion with some sticking out like thorns and up to his finger. But now, it had reduced to short lines. It _was_ time for a change, after all. His once pure shoulder-length white hair was now dyed black reaching only to his chin, his red bobby pins were still in place, with some of his bangs covering his forehead. His attire now consisted of a black suit with black dress pant and red suspenders with yellow triangle pattern. Nothing much changed about his appearance, or so he'd like to think. The only drastic change he considered was a prosthetic leg.

Juuzou let out a sigh once more before he glanced at the clock again. His eyes widened slightly as he removed his head from the desk and grinned to himself. There was approximately ten minutes left before the meeting was adjourned, and he couldn't help but feel a tad excited about it. He thanked himself for bringing extra cash today, hopefully the store was still open after this. He let himself be driven away by his thoughts.

 _Bam!_

He merely flinched at the loud sound as he quickly glanced at source of the sudden noise. Juuzou wasn't surprised at the fact that Investigator Houji was now glaring daggers at his direction, specifically, to him. He blinked and looked at him with innocent eyes, giving him a look as if he hadn't been dozing off and gave him a small smile.

Houji let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Suzuya, I ask you to please pay attention to the subject at hand. This is important because this involves you and your squad especially."

Juuzou raised a brow at this. "Me and my squad? I'm assigned to the 13th ward. This is the 20th ward we are discussing about."

"Precisely. You were assigned to the 20th ward before, which means, you have a familiarity to the place. As we all know, the ward has been considered a quiet place due to the fact that the number of predation incidents is low in comparison to other wards, which CCG mostly ignored the ward because of it." He replied.

Houji cleared his throat before he continued, "However the deaths of Investigators Ippei Kusaba and Kureo Mado by the ghoul Rabbit caused the CCG's main office to focus more of their resources on exterminating ghouls in the 20th ward, and it was also found that the One-Eyed Owl resides there, or so we thought, causing an all-out extermination, which resulted of the death of many."

Juuzou tried not to flinch as he forced himself to listen, his eyes focused and lips in a grim line.

"The 20th ward has silence down since. Until we found out yesterday that two investigators were killed in the said ward in which they were supposedly assigned to. We are in need of your cooperation at the moment, we want you and your squad to inspect the place and possibly, find the ghouls that's been causing an uproar." Houji finished with a stern look on his face.

Juuzou glanced down for a second before staring back at him, nodding his head. "Understood."

The investigator nodded back at him and gathered his files. "The meeting is officially adjourned. The investigation will start as soon as possible. Thank you for coming today." He stated as the sound of creaks and sighs were heard.

The rambling of feet and the familiar screeching of chairs filled Juuzou's ears as he also stood up from his seat. He looked around to see that Haise was giving him a smile, which he gladly returned, and watched the man stepped out of the room. He let out a sigh of relief, pushed the desk away from him and was about to walk off when-

"Investigator Suzuya."

Juuzou stopped in his tracks, blinked and glanced back at him. He saw the man open one of the drawers and retrieved out a thick folder. He groaned internally at this. He let out a breath before turning completely to his direction, "Do you need something?"

He stared intently at the number of papers piled up on his desk, curious to know what he was going to say to him. Part of him was ready to dash out of the room and run into the doughnut shop while a part of him was rather intrigued at what could he possibly want. He stayed quiet and observed his actions, watching him blink fast, eyes scanning each paper, as if he was hiding something from him. He tilted his head slightly at this.

Houji finally sighed and looked up at Juuzou. "Yes, I'd like to introduce you to someone."

Juuzou's brows shot up as he looked down at the file in his hands, before looking back at his eyes. "Oh?" Was all he could say, his curiosity building up inside him. It has been an awful long time since he's been introduced to someone.

Houji nodded and glanced at the door. "You can come in now."

Juuzou furrowed his brows at this and turned his attention to the door as well. The door knob twisted and opened to reveal a young woman as she stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Her raven hair was neatly tied into a braid,that went past her shoulders with small strands of hair framing her small face from the sides. He watched as the woman walked towards them and bowed her head, her hands placed formally in front of her.

"This is Yukimura Mizuki, a second class investigator; she just graduated from the academy a few months ago."

He nodded his head, still staring at the woman. Juuzou noticed her eyes had a dark shade to it, half-opened like slits, as if she's trying not to take in everything at once. She was wearing a long sleeved polo with a black pencil skirt and black low heels. She had fair skin and her face showed no emotion like a broken and abandoned doll. Her appearance was dull to Juuzou's point of view, much like every part of her being. He blinked and quickly looked away before she could notice him.

He turned to Houji with a confused look, "What are you implying exactly, Investigator Houji?"

"Miss Yukimura had been assigned to an investigator before but due to circumstances, the investigator had died from a mission. The owl extermination to be precise." A hint of hatred flashed through Houji's eyes before it disappeared.

Juuzou stared at Houji for a few seconds, analyzing the situation before coming to a conclusion, and looked back at the woman. He nodded his head, "Ah, I see. You are assigning me to her, right? Is that what you're saying?"

He furrowed his brows, stared at her and crossed his arms. Mizuki glanced at Juuzou for a split second before looking down at the ground, avoiding his stare. He noticed how her eyes were blinking rapidly, looking anywhere but him, as if she was scared to stare at him directly. He let out a sigh.

 _'This is going to be a hassle if she joins the squad.'_ He thought to himself.

Houji nodded in agreement. "Yes, I sincerely apologize for informing you in such short and rushed notice. I have tried to assign Miss Yukimura here to various investigators, in which they declined because of important reasons. Which only led me to one conclusion, I have scanned through your background and had came to a result. Other investigators are not very acceptant of this young woman here due to her...tendencies."

He arched an eyebrow at this and pursed his lips. "Tendencies?"

"It'd be best if you read this file instead. It would be rude to talk about Miss Yukimura in such a way. It's better if we keep our opinions to ourselves." Houji replied and hesitantly handed the file to Juuzou.

"It'll be quite a problem, Investigator Houji, since the investigation will start soon. She knows nothing of the sort and it'd be troublesome if she screws up." Juuzou retorted, fighting back a scowl before grabbing the file. The thought of having another Hanbee in the squad made him groan internally.

"Don't underestimate her just yet, Suzuya. She's not as weak as you thought she is. She is not a bad fighter based on my observations. She can cooperate well too, and besides, it's nothing that you can't manage." Houji gave him a small smile.

Juuzou let out a sigh and uncrossed his arms. "I suppose. It's not permanent, is it?"

Houji shook his head. "I'll be assigning her to you at the moment. Don't worry it's only temporary, just for a week or so. Until then, I'll be looking for another investigator and you'll be training her too, make her feel welcome to the team. Everyone's quite busy this time of month." He explained as he gathered up his files and placing them back at the cabinet.

Juuzou bit the insides of his cheek before he glanced at Mizuki.

 _'I wonder what Hanbee will think about this,'_ He thought before sighing. He placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head to the side, "You're not giving me much of a choice here, so I guess I'll accept her."

Houji gave him a nod. "Thank you for your cooperation Investigator Suzuya. Everything you need to know about her background is in that file. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. I hope Miss Yukimura and the squad will get along."

Juuzou nodded back. He placed the file under his arm as he shoved his hands inside his pockets. He felt Mizuki's presence slowly approach him. He turned to her as she bowed slightly. "I am pleased to meet you. I'm looking forward to be working with you."

"Likewise."

"You are dismissed, Suzuya. I have matters to take care of. I thank you once more." Houji said, as he started writing down.

Juuzou blinked and started walking off, with Mizuki following behind him. A thousand thoughts and questions were flowing inside his mind, but he would rather not stress about it, at least not for now. He had much more important things to attend to. He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, Mizuki by his side.

"Can I call you Mizuki? Yukimura is kind of a mouthful," he asked her.

She nodded her head. "Sure. I don't mind."

"By the way, can we stop by at the doughnut shop for a moment? There's a new product out and I want to try it," he grinned. He fastened his steps as the both of them finally got out of the building. He looked up at the sky, seeing it was orange, he guessed that there was still a few minutes left before the store would close and he can't have that. Absolutely not.

"Come on, let's hurry up before the store closes," he fastened his pace even more with Mizuki trying to match his.

After three minutes, they arrived in front of a small store. Juuzou let himself grin at the word 'open' flashing and placed in front of the glass door. He quickly went inside, pushing the entrance open with his left hand, as the bell rang-twice. He walked to the counter like he always does, as the elderly woman smiled at him. "Ah, Juuzou, you're in good timing. We were just about to close up. I thought you weren't coming today."

"Of course, I came. You told me to come here for that big surprise, then I realized that it's that new product you were talking about. How nice of you~" he replied and chuckled, placing the file down beside him.

"It's what I do for our best costumer. Tell you what, I'll give the doughnut for free today," she said and grabbed a pair of tongs, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Juuzou beamed at this and restrained himself from jumping. "Thank you, Saki-san!"

Mizuki seated herself at one of the stools and made herself comfortable, looking around at the pastel colored store. She placed her elbow on the counter, leaning her cheek against the heel of her palm. She let out a sigh as she observed Juuzou not too far from where she was sitting. She wondered if the man was fond of sweets from the start.

Juuzou was busy waiting for the woman when he remembered Mizuki and turned to her. He blinked and arched a brow. "Why are you sitting over there?"

She shrugged as a response and kept a blank look on her face.

"Come sit here. And besides, I have a few questions to ask."

He looked away once he smelled the fresh doughnut that the woman had brought. "Here it is!"She exclaimed, placing the food on the counter along with a drink as well. The woman glanced at Mizuki with a smile on her face. "Would you like to order something as well, dear?"

Mizuki quickly shook her head and mumbled, "No thanks."

The woman nodded her head and turned back to Juuzou, who was happily eating away. "It's delicious as always, Saki-san. Your doughnuts are the best!" He exclaimed and took another bite, feeling the sugar melt inside his mouth. He was about to take another when he noticed Mizuki in his peripheral vision and closed his mouth. "Why are you still there?"

She furrowed her brows slightly and stood up, walking towards him and took a seat. Juuzou stared at her for a few seconds before biting into his doughnut. "I'm Suzuya Juuzou by the way. And apparently starting today, you'll be joining my squad. How does that make you feel, Mizuki?"

"I am honored to be working with your squad. I hope I'm not a bother to you in any way," she replied, watching him intently.

"Well that depends. We'll see after your first mission with us. Do you like sweets?" He asked, gesturing for the remaining doughnuts on his plate.

Yukimura took a quick glance at the food then back at him. "I'm not really fond of them. I don't have a sweet tooth, you see."

Juuzou was silent for a moment. She raised a brow at his sudden action. He proceeded to stay wordless for a few seconds that Mizuki was starting to think that maybe she said something wrong to upset him but nevertheless, she continued to wait for a reply or a sound from the investigator. She was about to talk when-

"That's too bad."

She quickly shut her mouth and blinked. "Not really."

He let out a sigh and finished his doughnut, licking the remained sugar on his fingertips. He glanced out at the window and saw the sky getting dark. He looked away and started to drink the juice the woman gave him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Juuzou stopped and removed his lips from the glass, placing it on the counter. "What is it?"

"Is Suzuya Juuzou your real name?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

He froze for a split second, confused by the sudden question before furrowing his brows at her. "What exactly do you mean?"

She stayed quiet. He waited for an answer.

It became a waiting game between them, each was giving the other a challenging look, not bothering on paying attention to the surroundings, nor the old woman who was currently worried about them. The tension inside the store grew thicker with each passing second as the both of them were not giving up. After a few more minutes, Mizuki let out a sigh and looked away.

"It's nothing, forget about it. I'm sorry for the impolite question," she finally said.

Juuzou blinked and finished his drink before setting it down with a loud thud. "Thanks for the food, Saki-san! I'll be visiting again tomorrow~"

The woman nodded, unsure whether to ask the man, but decided against it.

"Let's go, Mizuki," he murmured and stood up.

She mimicked his actions, thanked the woman and followed Juuzou out the store. She stayed silent, knowing that she'd probably pissed off the investigator from her previous question. The walk was oddly quiet and the atmosphere around them was heavy. It continued on like that until they finally reached a house. Mizuki took a quick look at the building before following Juuzou to the front porch.

"Um, what should I address you?" she asked.

He stopped in his tracks, contemplated for a second before he replied, "You don't have to think about it that much. It doesn't really matter what you call me. I'm fine by anything," he placed his hand on the door knob and twisted it open, revealing Tamaki and his other teammates. He was about to step inside when she replied-

"Then, can I call you Rei?"


	3. ii

Juuzou was never one for surprises.

The act of making an unexpected assault or to bring out suddenly without any warning bothered him. _A lot._ It wasn't that he's easily affected by such actions, (because he doesn't), he's usually more disturbed at the mere fact that one might strike a dagger at him, in which he could easily avoid, _but still._ He'd prevent himself from encountering one like a deadly disease.

His subordinates learned the hard way though. The fresh and early days of being a squad leader, meeting new faces and the day he realized that he was going to have to carry these people throughout his life as a CCG Investigator, and with being a squad leader came the word 'responsibility.' The look on his face didn't justify the corresponding flashbacks of his old partner, the way his stomach dropped, and the anticipating curiosity like a child getting a present.

 _Bam! Surprise._

The Suzuya Squad was born straight up from that specific moment and time. Formal greetings and small smiles were exchanged, as with the introduction of names. In the first few hours, he tried to be as composed as possible in front of them. Juuzou remembered sharing a drink with the investigators, and getting the time to know each other. He briefly told his background, excluding his past, since they already knew half of the story, (he'd rather not discuss it anyway), and his way of exterminating ghouls.

They had been kind enough to oblige to his orders as what he wanted and expected. The starting days were always awkward and the fact that he didn't quite trust them yet. Hanbee was lanky and useless. Mizurou was a bit clumsy and at times, can't aim at a specific angle. Mikage was too slow with his actions, (in his perspective anyway), and Nakarai was..too stiff.

The squad had their fair share of arguments but in time, they did have gotten along quite well. Little by little, Juuzou learned more and more about his companions as if they were test subjects and a piece of jigsaw puzzle, solving the things that were running around inside their heads. And before he knew it, he had grown accustomed to them.

He forgot to mention his dislikes, of course – which led to pure and utter chaos. One _particular_ day, at an exact specific minute, his crimson eyes had widen like saucers upon seeing the delighted grins plastered on their faces (Nakarai only gave a quick nod), the party hats they had worn, and the frosted chocolate cake on Hanbee's hands. The sound of the accursed party streamers boomed inside his ears like fireworks amidst a silent and peaceful night.

 _Bam! Surprise._

Nevertheless, it ended up with Mizurou retreating on a corner in the room, bewildered and confused. The festive designs were torn off from the walls, and was left with the split image of the once colorful streamers but it was nothing compared to the blood shot daggers sending heavy stares that had intents to slice them open behind raven locks. The cake was pried away from Hanbee and was thrown down the tiled floor with such force that it tainted his shirt and was almost in pieces. Nakarai and Mikage were in dead silence as they watched him stomp away from the scene, his jaw clenched and boiling with frustration. All because they wanted to celebrate Juuzou's birthday.

Juuzou was _never_ fond of surprises.

Except when he's the one doing it.

As he watched with half-lidded eyes and a slim line formed on his chapped lips, Mizurou almost immediately came to him, with an expression he knew all too well from his experience as an investigator. He let his eyes trail down to the stack of papers he was holding, then to the rest of them, seeing that they're all as busy as they should be.

"Suzuya-san, Investigator Houji informed us about the upcomi-" Mizurou stopped upon seeing the woman behind Juuzou. He blinked and raised a brow at this. "Um, Suzuya-san? Do you know this person?"

Juuzou gave her a side glance, his gaze lingering on hers for a few seconds, then diverted his attention back to them, "Everyone, listen up."

They looked up from the pile of records and reports, their curiosity getting the best of them, and for the fact that their squad leader rarely tells them anything of much importance. His tone was strict and firm which only caught their attention more.

"This is Yukimura Mizuki, Second Class Investigator. She will be joining our squad as of now." He allowed his lips to form a small smile as he faced and observed their reactions, like he always does. He noted inside his mind that Hanbee was pleased and welcomed for her to be a part of the team, Mikage was rather confused, with his mouth slightly open and his eyes widen a fraction, while Nakarai was as stoic as ever. He disregarded the disbelief shown on Mizurou's face.

Mizuki lowered his head. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I am looking forward to work with such investigators."

"S-Suzuya-san! What's going on?" a troubled Mizurou asked.

"Stop bothering, Suzuya-san, Mizurou," the man across from him said. He had his brows furrowed, as if worried that a conflict may start soon. His eyes were almost closed, his hair extremely short and spiked up to the top in a shade of light purple, a piercing was also noticeable on his ears. An open book was placed not too far from where he was sitting. "I'm sure he's tired from his day."

"I was just simply asking, Mikage. There's no harm in it. And besides, we have a lot of things to discuss with, relating to the incident-"

"Suzuya-senpai, if you don't mind, May we ask some questions regarding Miss Yukimura?" Hanbee interfered, looking interested as well. He put down the folder he was previously holding and folded his hands neatly and placed them above the desk.

"We can discuss about her later, right now, there are far more urgent matters," A certain blond spoke as he gave Mizuki a cold stare. "We'll save the questions for now."

The woman blinked. "He's right. I'm sure it can wait. This looks like an important case."

Juuzou walked off to a nearby couch and settled himself, placing his legs on top of the glass table in front of him, setting the folder of information about her beside him and leaning back on the soft cushion. "So? What did Investigator Houji say to you all?"

"Miss Yukimura, please come inside and take a seat." Hanbee gestured for the chair beside Juuzou as she hesitantly sat on the wooden furniture, shifting slightly.

Nakarai nodded his head towards his squad leader and gathered all the files that was sprawled out, arranged them all accordingly while both Mikage and Mizurou grabbed their copy as well and sat around the small glass table. (Juuzou removed his feet immediately)

He finished it within a few minutes and laid them all in front of everyone to see. "This is the data that Investigator Houji gave to us. He also informed us about an alteration in the squad. I'd never expect it to be someone joining us though." His eyes flickered to hers for a moment before gazing away.

Mizurou's brows shot up at this. "So, that's what he's been implying. It's been bothering me for a while now."

Mikage nodded in agreement. "I was kinda hinting at that too, but brushed it off. I guess my predictions were right after all."

"Well, he should've just told us straight away, that would've prevent us from worrying." Hanbee chimed in, muttering a few words on how stressed he was that someone might be removed and other possibilities under his breath.

" _Anyway,"_ Nakarai continued, sending a few stares at them, "I would like to further discuss about the upcoming mission and possibly, the whereabouts of these ghouls."

Juuzou let out a sigh and leaned forward, looking down at the information, his eyes moving forward and backward, scanning them and taking in the only useful parts. He noticed the names of the investigators that died from the attack that occurred a few days ago. He pursed his lips in a tight line, and looked up at him. "Nakarai, is there something bothering you?"

The man blinked and was taken aback slightly at the sudden question. "Not really, I've heard a lot about what has happened recently in the 20th ward. Why?"

"Your demeanor changed. The way you talk has gotten more fast and heavy, like you're in a hurry. Your aura is a bit different too. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, glancing at him, not a hint of worry can be seen from his eyes, but rather curiosity and a subtle discreet.

The three investigators looked at their subordinate, wondering why they hadn't noticed it before. Mizuki didn't bother to spare him a glance, not caring about the man and instead observed the reports with a finger placed on her chin, taking in all at once.

There was silence for a moment, not one of them speaking a word. A few seconds passed, he let out a sigh as his shoulders loosened for a bit, closing his eyes for a split second before opening them back, not meeting everyone's stares. "The investigators that previously died, were my..acquaintances. Old classmates from the academy to be exact."

Juuzou nodded at this and replied with a curt, "I see."

"Don't worry Nakarai, we'll kill those ghouls in an instant once we find them. They're no match for us anyway." Mizurou said, giving him a small smile and patted his back.

"Yes certainly. There is no need to be in such a state. At least they are in a far better place now." Hanbee said, clenching his knuckles tight at the bare thought of the bodies being devoured by the cannibals.

"I agree. Right, Suzuya-san?" Mikage turned to Juuzou with an expectant look.

The raven-haired investigator simply gave Nakarai a grin. "I don't think you should be thinking about it. We really can't do anything about it now, so why bother? I think it's just a total waste of time, _isn't that right~?"_

Mizuki stayed silent at this.

"Suzuya is right, there's no need to be mourning over such things. All we need to do now is to cooperate and find the wretched ghouls and get rid of them. Simple as that." Nakarai finished and continued on without another word. The three remained silent after.

"As I was saying, the said ghouls were last seen in an alley street, as what was assumed from the dead remaining parts of the investigators. The ghouls were classified as S rated and were known for devouring a specific part of each person; the heart."

"Could this be the ghouls that were named _Zodiac Brothers_? They were pretty wanted before." Mizurou intervened, raising a brow at his copy.

Nakarai furrowed his brows, not tearing his eyes away from the papers. "Can you elaborate it further?"

"The _Zodiac Brothers_ were known for devouring hearts, as what you stated. I can't remember much but I heard there were three of them, notorious for defeating investigators. They were on a rampage for months when one of the brothers is captured. The remaining siblings escaped and hid for a while. No one knew of their whereabouts and has been on search," Mizurou glanced at them. "But they quieted down ever since the incident. I wonder what happened for them to be back on their feet."

Mikage nodded his head. "One thing's for sure though, they made one hell of a comeback."

Juuzou noticed Mizuki froze in the corner of his eyes. Her gaze was glued down on the floor, her hands clenching her pencil skirt with a tight grip, almost shaking. Noticing that it wasn't a good time to ask, he decided to ignore her odd actions and diverted his attention back to them.

"Where did you get that source, Mizurou?" Nakarai asked, a bit skeptical.

The man stared up and closed his eyes, his brows scrunched and thought. "I think it was from the academy when I heard one of my teachers say it." He opened his eyes, putting down the paper he was holding. "I swear, it wasn't on purpose, I just happened to pass by them when I heard them mention it."

"Eavesdropper." Mikage muttered to himself.

Mizurou glared at him, "It _did_ come in handy though."

"And are you certain that those events really took place?" he asked once more.

"Yeah. I mean, it's investigators that I heard them from. If you want further proof, ask them themselves." Mizurou replied.

"Um, excuse me. Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

Juuzou blinked and turned to her, as well as the other men, surprised at her sudden intervention. She was no longer what he saw before and was instead composed, as if nothing ever happened. He was reminded of a small cat calling out in a group of dogs barking for the bone in front of them. "Yes? Is there something you'd like to add?" he asked her.

Nakarai furrowed his brows and looked at Juuzou, disbelief flashed in his eyes. "Suzuya, are you sure? We've only known here just now."

He shrugged at this, "It's fine. She just recently became a temporary member, and she's also joining this mission. So I think her opinion could be useful. And besides, I want to hear what she has to say."

Mizuki nodded her head at him. "I appreciate it. And as for the _Zodiac Brothers_ , I have encountered them before."

Mizurou's eyes widen slightly at this. "For real?"

"Yes. I was…young when it occurred. It's a bit blurry since it's been a very long time. But I did remember their masks. There were three of them at that time, one wore a mask that reminded me of a ram, and it also consisted of horns that stretched out." She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I think it was black, the other wore a mask that had fish scales, and it was a very light blue."

"And the last one?" Mikage asked.

She opened her eyes and paused for a moment, seemingly deep in her thoughts. They watched her concentrate, endless questions filling their very mind. Juuzou observed her every movement, eager to know what she had to say. Mizuki was a walking Rubik's cube to him, and he was determined to fit the pieces where they belonged.

"The last one wore a red mask, resembling that of blood, it had a spike to it towards the end."

Nakarai took all this information inside his head thoroughly. "How do I know that none of this is a lie?"

"It is up to you if you believe me or not, but I do believe in what I saw. And I am certainly sure that it was them and not just some stray ghouls." She stated firmly, her head held up high.

"How do you know?" It was Juuzou who spoke this time, his tone full of nothing but suspicion towards her, his eyes boring into very depths of her being.

"Because they had the letter _Z_ on their black cloaks. Plus, their masks resemble that of the zodiac signs; Aries, Pisces and Scorpion." She replied, her stare matching his.

"So you are concluding that they are in fact, the _Zodiac Brothers_?" Hanbee asked.

Mizuki only nodded her head at him, firm and positive. Juuzou didn't bother tearing his eyes away from the woman. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyes going a shade darker and was tempted to ask her. He bit the insides of his cheek in irritation and opened his mouth to respond,

"How did you exactly encounter them, Mizuki? In what way?"

The tension inside the room became heavy in mere seconds after the question. No one dared to speak or even dared to break the lingering silence amidst the investigators. Hanbee kept throwing worried glances between them. Mizurou, suddenly intrigued, kept quiet and still as well as Mikage and Nakarai. It felt as if time was passing by them so quickly when Mizuki finally decided to speak up.

"There are some memories that are better left unsaid, forgotten, and buried beneath the deepest parts of the Earth. I'm sure you know that all too well, so I am certain that you'll understand."

Juuzou stayed silent at this.

"AH!" Hanbee stood up from his seat in a quick motion, making the chair stumble and fall down from where it was once placed. He plastered his hands on his face, realization dawned on him. He let out a loud gasp and immediately ran towards the opposite side of the room, towards the kitchen faster than a rabbit. "I forgot my stew! I was cooking for dinner!"

Mizurou stared at Hanbee's retreating figure, bewildered and confused. He blinked and looked back to them. "Did he really just do that?"

"I'd like to thank him for that, actually." Mikage murmured, beads of sweat rolling from his forehead from before.

Nakarai watched the scene unfold from his point of view quietly. He took a glance at his squad leader. Based on his scrunched up brows, the darkening look on his face, and the pitch-black aura that surrounded him, he could definitely tell that he was pissed. On the other hand, looking at Mizuki, she was perfectly composed and unaffected by what happened, as what he expected. He could also tell that she wasn't the type to deal with anyone's whims.

"I'm guessing a break from all this won't be so bad, eh?" Mikage said, staring at Nakarai with a small grin playing along his lips.

He let out a sigh. "Don't get too excited, we'll talk about this more after dinner."

"I'll take my chances." His grin widened and stood up from his seat, grabbed his book and walked off to his usual position beside the window, where he made himself comfortable and continued on with his reading.

Nakarai shook his head at him and turned his attention back to analyzing the details on each report. He studied the recent deaths of many, the possibilities of anyone who could be one of the brothers. He was too indulged on the case that he didn't notice a pale hand reaching out to one of the files.

"Maizono Mei, Age 19, brutally killed and a missing heart, was found in the hidden streets of the 20th ward. You can already tell that it's their work based on the _missing heart,_ no?" Mizuki said, her raven eyes scanning the woman's profile and saw a shot of her mutilated corpse. "But what I don't get though is that why the most protected part of the human body? What makes it so special to them?"

Nakarai looked up, surprise clearly shown on his face. "What are you implying?"

"You shouldn't question about a ghoul's killing method. It doesn't matter how or why they do it, they kill to survive. Or simply because they're bored." Juuzou said, not meeting her eyes and was swimming in his thoughts. "And besides, why do you care? For a human, you awfully think like a ghoul you know that."

Mizuki blinked at this and shook her head slightly, "Can't I be curious about them? Is that a sin now? It just wonders me sometimes why some ghouls prefer only a specific organ or part of the body. There's always a hidden story behind it."

Juuzou laughed slightly and turned to Mizuki with a wide smile on his face. "I think you're just being too observant about how the world works. It's not always _everything._ Some ghouls just like a certain part because it's easier to eat or it's more efficient to dig their bare teeth on. Did you ever stop to consider that?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I think I should be the one saying those words that you had said before. You think like a ghoul as well."

" _I have my fair share of experience._ What about you? How can you justify yours?" he replied, still wearing that smile on his face.

"If you must know, I-"

"Dinner's ready!"

Mizuki shut her mouth and let out a sigh. "I won't argue you because of trivial things."

And with that said, Nakarai stood up and began to walk to the dining room, in which his head was spinning like a record, his thoughts filling his mind with questions he knew he couldn't answer himself. After witnessing the heated argument, he was left with the conclusion that he wouldn't interrupt any kind of discussion between them even if it cost him his life.

Mizurou was left with the entire air sucked out of his lungs.

"Suzuya-senpai, Miss Yukimura, Mizurou, dinner is ready." Hanbee announced after setting up the plates on to their respective places, adding an extra for the new member. He also improvised his stew a little, though it was burned slightly, he had to put a bit of spice for Mizuki. You had to leave a good first impression after all, and he was all about that. He just hoped that the others were the same as him, though he doubted it, especially Nakarai and their squad leader.

Mizurou immediately rushed to the kitchen, followed by Mikage, leaving the both of them alone.

"We should probably head there." Mizuki said and stood up.

"What did you say a while ago?"

She gave him a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, before he shook his head and mumbled, "Nothing."

Juuzou took a spoonful of Hanbee's cooking; humming to himself at how delicious it was made, though he'd never admit that to him. He smiled and took another. He was known for eating a large amount of sweets, but he knew his limit, and just like everybody else, he knew how to eat healthy as well, just not all the time. He'd still prefer sweets over healthy food anytime.

He eyed the stew for a while, wondering what made it so different today. "Hanbee? Did you add something to this? It tastes a bit different." _In a good way, that is._

"I spiced it up a bit, since we have an important guest and also a new addition to the squad, so I thought that I'd make it special for tonight. Did it taste bad?" he asked, worried that the burned part might overlap the extra ingredients he put.

"It's excellent. I appreciate it." Mizuki sent him a small smile as a token of gratitude, which he gladly returned.

"That's a relief indeed. Thank you, Miss Yukimura."

"Please, call me Mizuki."

"Speaking of which, we haven't got the chance to introduce ourselves." Mizurou spoke up, and turned to Mizuki with a smile on his face. "In that case, I'll go first. I'm Mizurou Tamaki; it's really nice to meet you, Mizuki-san."

"I'm Miyuki Mikage. I'm looking forward to work with you, Mizuki-san."

"Keijin Nakarai."

"And I am, Hanbee Abara, it is indeed a great pleasure, Mizuki. I am delighted and honored to be working with you. I hope we can get along."

"That's a possibility, considering your cuisine is absolutely delicious. I think we'd become great friends." Mizuki assured him, after swallowing the steamy soup from her plate.

"Is it alright if we ask questions about yourself, Mizuki?" he asked, slightly worried that she might get offended by such a question.

Which was proven wrong, seeing that she smiled and nodded her head, "Certainly, I don't mind at all."

"How old are you exactly?"

She straightened up before she answered, "I am twenty years old."

"How many ghouls have you defeated?"

"You're seriously asking that, Mikage? I'm sure there were too many for her to count." Mizurou replied, raising a brow at him.

"What type of quinque do you use?" Nakarai asked, while sipping a drink, looking at her through his peripheral vision.

"Oh! This I have to know!" Mizurou chimed in and leaned forward slightly.

Mizuki paused for while, her eyes moving back and forth towards the investigators. They were all anticipating for her response, eager to know what weapon she used. She let out a sigh and shrugged, "You all just have to wait and see. It's a surprise."

Juuzou's stare lingered then averted away from her, taking the last bite from his plate. He tried to remember the times where his former partner was here instead of these people right now. What would the situation be like? Will things be more different? Or will it be the same? Juuzou knew he shouldn't be thinking of this kind of stuff for it was poison to the mind. And it wasn't healthy either. Thinking about something that wasn't there anymore wasn't going to do any good so he decided to stop and shook the heavy thoughts away mentally.

"That's too bad. Man, I really wanted to know but I guess I'll have to wait." Mizurou replied and chuckled.

"Are you bad with blood?" Juuzou asked, wondered to know whether if she was another Hanbee, not like he can predict it from just answering a question. He'd see it during a battle, then he'd decide whether she was one or not.

Hanbee squirmed in his seat.

"No, not really. Why would you ask?" she said, arching a brow.

Juuzou glanced at Hanbee, gave him a smile and said, "Just worried if you might turn out to be like him. Though, I seriously hope not." Then, looked away without saying another word.

Mizuki didn't ask any further, seeing how the tall man reacted from it. "I really did enjoy the food tonight and everyone's companion. I'll do my best for this upcoming mission."

She received stares from them, though mostly positive ones. Nakarai was giving her the blank and stoic look on his face, while Juuzou gave her a look that said _'we'll see'_ , she took it as a motivational sign from the investigator instead.

Hanbee looked at everyone's plates, seeing that they were all empty as he stood up and started gathering the empty glasses. Mizuki started to help him, when put up a hand in protest, "No, please. There is no need for that. I can do it on my own; it's a bit embarrassing for you to help me to do such simple tasks."

"No, it's fine. It's the least I can do to help around here," she insisted, grabbing the plates from him and started walking off and placing them gently on the sink. She returned and got the remaining empty bowl and doing the same routine. She wiped off the grease on her dark skirt.

"Thank you, Mizuki." Hanbee said with a smile. She nodded at him.

"Now then, we'll continue the discussion." Nakarai announced after being seated from his previous position.

She faced the investigators and let out a breath. "I'm afraid I have to pass this time. I'm tired and in need of rest. Plus, I have to wake up early tomorrow. Is it alright if I go on ahead?"

Juuzou nodded. "Sure. Hanbee, please show her the extra room. And be back immediately, we still have a lot to take care of."

"Understood," he replied and began climbing up the stairs with Mizuki following closely behind him.

Juuzou watched as the both of them slowly disappeared and looked back down. It was quiet for a while, with everyone busy for the mission that was soon approaching. Though the tension inside the room has improved greatly, unlike, the first time he and the others were discussing for their very first mission together. He remembered the thick atmosphere, which it was hard to breathe even with all the windows open.

"I don't trust her."

He blinked and snapped his head towards Nakarai. "It's normal to not trust a person when you first meet them."

"No, that's not it. I just have this bad feeling around her. And I'm never wrong when it comes to this. She has that suspicious thing going on. She shouldn't be part of the squad." Nakarai finished.

"Nonsense, Nakarai. I can't blame you though, we only just met her, but she's not so bad. She did give us an important detail about the _Zodiac Brothers_ ; she is useful in a way." Mizurou said, his brown hair swayed and turned to Nakarai. "Maybe, in time, we could learn to trust her."

"That's another thing," he replied with narrowed eyes. "How exactly did she know about such explicit information? Does she know the brothers personally?"

"I think you're just being too dramatic about this. Didn't you hear what she said? Maybe the encounter left some scars that aren't' meant to be talked about to people you knew for a few hours. She'll open up soon, we just have to wait." Mizurou replied.

"Why are you defending her?"

Mizurou put up both of his hands, "I'm not. I'm just saying that you shouldn't judge her from her looks, or from her actions. It's a waiting game, Nakarai. And if you're not patient enough, you might miss the train, metaphorically speaking of course."

Mikage spoke up before Nakarai even got the chance to respond, "I think..I've seen her before. I can't exactly recall when but I have definitely at least caught a glimpse of her. She looked so familiar."

Juuzou looked at the purple-haired investigator with slightly widened eyes. "Where exactly?"

"I'm not entirely sure that it was her. Maybe I've mistaken her for someone else."

"That's more likely, considering that I've never seen Mizuki." Mizurou said, glancing at the descending Hanbee.

His crimson eyes were glancing back and forth between the three investigators. He bit the insides of his cheeks, a habit he had when he's in deep thought. Juuzou was never really fond of any new faces joining his squad, because four people was enough, even Hanbee alone gave him problems.

"How's the discussion going?" Hanbee asked, fixing the once fallen chair and sat on it.

Mikage and Mizurou both exchanged a look.

"Please tell me you weren't talking about Mizuki behind her back," he said, furrowing his brows.

"It wasn't intentional. She just happened to become a topic since Nakarai spoke a word," Mikage replied with a smile. "We'd like to hear your thoughts about her as well, if you don't mind."

Nakarai scoffed at this.

"Well, I think she's an intelligent young woman, who is also full of pride. I've noticed something different about her too; her eyes seem a bit sad. As if she's in terrible pain." Hanbee looked down at his lap. "It kind of reminds me of the time when I first met Suzuya-senpai."

Juuzou didn't bother sparing the man a glance. He let his lids stoop down slightly, letting his mind drift away. _'What cannot be seen by the eyes lays a hidden and unforgiving truth. Remember that, Juuzou. It'll help you someday.'_ Was one of the last few words Shinohara had said to him, before being pierced by a kagune though it was nothing compared to being stabbed in the heart, and seeing the one person you had finally cared for slowly die in front of you.

"It doesn't matter. If she happens to do something that might endanger the CCG or our squad, _I will personally exterminate her_." With his eyes a shade darker, his mouth set on a grim line, he was determined to figure out the missing pieces.

He didn't expect the conflicts up ahead though.


	4. iii

_Mama. I won't do it again._

Faces of wary tight-lipped smiles and locked scarred arms appeared, as a dark and large hand reached out to a boy's opened mouth, clasping it shut with brute and merciless strength. A muffled scream echoed its way throughout the candle-lit hallway and into an endless void, where it dispersed to thin air, into nothing but the once memory of a cry for help.

 _Mama. Please._

Crimson shrunken eyes bore heavy and stained tears, as they came rolling down on a pale canvas. His fragile limbs were bounded by rusty chains and never-ending consequences of torture. Stories behind the large chunks of red rash blisters, fallen sheds of broken skin, and deep concaved lines lie hidden beneath his worn-out clothes, too big for his child-like form.

 _Mama. I'm sorry._

Pain shot throughout his body at the slightest movements he made. The dim room was forever condemned with cruelty towards a child, a _human._ His shattered body shook in a violent way as the heel of his foot pressed down on the ground, cowering away from the woman before him as if she was the devil herself. A deep and resounding laugh escaped from her red lips, her eyes concealed by the black round glasses she wore, which reflected the flickers of the candles.

 _Rei-chan, what you did was wrong. You know what happens now, right?_

His sank his teeth down at the inside of his cheek, scars of tissue and torn pink walls revealed from biting on them too hard. The smell of metal and the foul scent of decaying bodies invaded his senses, much like the iron taste inside his mouth. His ghost messy hair shone against the grim light, as the crescent moons under his eyes became more prominent with each passing second. He flinched at the small clinking sound, his gaze traveling around the enclosed space but the source of the shuddering tone.

 _Mama, don't you love me?_

 _Clink. Clink. Clink._ The sound was more menacing than the noise of his grinding teeth. He raised both his trembling hands and brought it up to his ears, squeezing it tight in an attempt to silence the whispers of the promising persecution. He envisioned his dying screams of pure torment, the eventual broken bloody nose, and the ripping of flesh. And so, he sealed his eyes shut, creating lines and furrowed brows, as his lower lip quivered. Her heels clicked and resonated against the dirt below her, taking easy steps towards the cornered boy.

 _It'll be all over before you know it._

He shook his head as a looming presence made its way to him, the dark shadow towering his scrawny figure, with his skeletal legs curled up in front of him. The remaining pieces of his heart pounded inside his chest as his breathing became ragged and uneven, letting out restricted gasps. A faint ring reverberated within the depths of his mind, throbbing with pain as it grew louder and _louder._

 _Too much. Too much._

 _It hurts._

The ringing increased until it went violent and noticeable as time passed by, along with a few images of a child and flashes of red, _red, there was so much red. Louder . . . and louder._ The laughter of the woman repeated over and over again _and again._ _Stop. No more._

 _Now stay still and be a good boy._

Juuzou opened his eyes. His grip on the silver railings tightened as he stared ahead at the various yellow and white shades before him, seemingly out of reach. His lids were lowered, half opened and deprived of sleep, the curved lines under deepened against the approaching sunrise.

He blinked, too fast, and sighed as the wind moved along with his greasy hair, some of the black strands stuck on the base of his neck from the sweat. His shoulders heaved up as chills ran down his spine, a poor excuse of a distraction from the series of heavy flashbacks; _still,_ the place where his hands were firmly planted hadn't left.

The corners of his chapped and thin lips lowered into a considerable grimace. His gaze turned to a sinister expression, as his eyes were concealed by the hairs on his forehead, hiding the unexplained emotions within. _Do you remember who you used to be?_

The bright amber horizon, bearing the resemblance of flames, emitted rays of light, as the sun peeked out from the mass of cotton clouds. Beams of the rising ball of fire illuminated the sleeping town in its wake, as well as the possibility of a sparkling hope and a fresh start. _Ironic enough,_ instead of a clear and organized mind, his was drowning in contempt and waves of past mistakes.

 _Rei. But that's not really your name, is it?_

A bitter and low chuckle exited his mouth, quirking the edges upward in a slight and soft smile. His eyes went further down from the scenery to the hard ground, unfazed and unblinking from where he stood. _Blood, blood on the concrete beneath, adorned with splatters of red liquid. Mama would've liked to see such a splendid painting. She'd be proud._

He pressed his lips together in disdain, as a rush of nostalgia washed over him as hard as the aching aftereffect of Mama's death, or the memory of her callous hand coming in contact with his small cheek. He watched with dead eyes as the faded bisque color covered the rough surface, together with his form in a swipe transition. The warmth sensation overwhelmed his senses in a loving embrace compared to the icy atmosphere before.

 _Pathetic. You're pathetic._

Static. A stream of stuttered words of agony and low apologies brought nothing but a nasty blow in the head.

 _You shitty brat! I'll tell you why I kept you!_

A compilation of blurred busted throats and clusters of bones, a reminder of the once blooming flowers amidst his burning lungs, all coming together into one disastrous image.

 _Don't get the wrong idea!_

He sucked in a strenuous breath, the heavy weight inside his chest blocking the oxygen from passing through. His once calm hold of the metal shook, his grasp stiffened, affected by such words which mirrored into his red eyes.

His long fixated stare shifted to a familiar figure walking out of the household, _black and a mixture of white._ His teeth met with his lower lip, chewing and battering, pursing it in a knowing motion at the sight. He narrowed his eyes and knitted his brows together. _A collection of constricted and sharp drawn fingers, water-filled ribcages, and a set of whites, becoming one . . .one. Why are you back?_

 _I never once . . . loved –_

A faint knock interrupted him from a meter away. His shoulders rose up and his body froze from the sudden disturbance. The morbid reminiscence disintegrated in an instant, a fragment of _hushed voices, shades of spilled ink and pale wrists,_ ceased upon the creaking noise of the opened door. His eyes never left the dotted black, as it walked off into the sunny streets, leaving a trail of unanswered questions ( _and a grieve burden to him_ )

His once stiff posture had relaxed, like a moment of bliss, a deflated balloon and a defeated sigh. His senses perked at the slow footsteps approaching him from behind. He didn't need to turn around to see who the intruding person was; a small smile etched his lips as the crisp air filled his nose. A tall shadow soon mounted over him, a vibe of concern radiating and boring holes into his back.

"Suzuya-senpai."

The tall man had started another irrelevant and unproductive conversation, like the other days of caffeine and smokes of fatigue.

A silence, Juuzou knew too much to become unfamiliar, crammed the large space between them, as well as the trapped words inside his throat. _Too quite, too unnerving._ Steps of polished shoes clicked against the cemented floors, as he felt the presence of another standing beside him.

Hanbee let out a depressed sigh, staring ahead. "Last night as well?"

Juuzou nodded his head, barely noticeable as his hands loosened around the rod. He lowered his head in shame as though he had committed a terrible crime, "I still think about it."

He took a glance at his mentor, his brows scrunched and his mouth parted slightly. Then he blinked, the once memorized disputes and lines flushed back down to his passage; speechless and dumbfounded for once. He could never understood the poisonous and death-laced concepts running throughout his guarded mind, unable to see through the clever facade, the infinite swirls of violent whirlpools and his tongue which spat nothing but fire; setting everything ablaze and into mass destruction.

"Suzuya-senpai, you . . ."

"Don't try to talk to me out of this one, Hanbee. It's not going to work." Sparks of flames and chaos arose, hence, the legendary devil-tongue.

Hanbee looked away. He let his features hardened at his words, his hands clenching his clothes. "This routine cannot go any further. I refuse to let this continue."

Juuzou brought up his lower lip in protest, staying mute as his eyes stayed casted and hidden. He removed his fingers from the railings, slipping through at a slow pace as though caressing the keys of a polished piano, letting his fingertips linger until both of his hands fell at either sides of his lower half. He drew in a sharp breath and said, "You should mind your own business. This isn't your problem."

The lanky man's shoulders loosened and his eyes softened into a sorrowful expression, his lips pursed into a tight line. "I . . . am doing what is best. I'm trying to help you get out of this . . . state that you are living."

Juuzou closed his eyes, streaks of toned down portraits of black-and-blue marks and gradients of blemished crooked palms passed by his dark vision as fast as a flash, and disappeared as abrupt as it came. He opened them back in a rapid motion before the unwanted scenes of shrieks and cracked voices came flooding again.

He balled his hands into hard fists, "You can't solve everyone's mistakes. Why can't you just drop it already?"

"I am aware of that," Hanbee's pitiful gaze went back to the raven-haired investigator, "Very much so."

"Then why do you still come here every morning?" The use of his tone was devoid of any transparent secrets and unconcealed emotions, _a distant voice amidst the large crowd of chattering crickets._ A helpless feeling; of being inferior, the act of tumbling down from the highest peak with a small hand reaching out from above, pretending to grasp him with an evil smile; oh how he _despised_ it like the scars on his tainted body.

Hanbee hesitated for a moment, a split second, before he let go of the solid grip he had on his crumpled clothes. "I am concerned for your well-being. The others know as well, we . . . are all worried of what might happen if this keeps up."

"Well you shouldn't bother involving yourselves into something only I can fix. It's bothersome," he replied, sharp as a sword drawn from a shuddering wound, the image of him standing over the edge of a cliff, the soles of his feet close to falling – _rigid and ready to snap._

Hanbee opened his mouth in objection; _it is not a bother for someone who cares about the happiness of others. Why do you keep your defenses up? Are you afraid of letting someone in because of what happened?_ but stopped himself before the words came sputtering out of his lips, which would send him to eternal damnation through his mentor's eyes.

He, instead, wallowed into the sympathy he felt towards him, consumed by his cowardice and the thick grief inside his heart of gold. "I was thinking that . . . perhaps, you need some company. It does get lonely when you're all alone out here."

Juuzou let out an irritated sigh. "Hanbee, you're not obligated to stress and trouble yourself about what happens to me. It shouldn't even matter to any of you."

 _Is that how you feel towards us as well?_ He bit back the snide comment as his face contorted into a pair of crooked lips, knitted brows, and saddened eyes; a rough sketch of a forsaken expression, a stab on the chest, _a pinned needle on the eye upon witnessing a grotesque scene._

"But it does matter," he said in a low and hushed tone, as though he was a child fighting back against an abusive mother. He let his lids droop down until they turned into slits; the lump on his throat clogged the reality behind sealed doors of confessions and caged claws against fictional masks.

Juuzou heard the afflicted whisper as clear and bright as the sun before him. He chose not to retort, fought back a snarky and venom-laced reply, which would led Hanbee to his demise without a single doubt, into burnt ashes. His eyes rose up to meet his, while his head still glued down to the concrete, peeking at him through thick lashes.

"Suzuya-senpai, the amount of times that I had pried on you for the past few minutes troubles me greatly but . . . why do you tend to stay up here when you can't sleep?" Hanbee asked with caution, as if he was walking on a landmine with no safety precautions to guide him.

The edges of his lips curled up into a smile, an instant of gleaming déjà vu, a split second of clarification in the midst of a thunderous rain, a short stop from a breathless kiss, a small silence from a melodious tune of a violin. And he'd broke out into curtailed chuckles upon speaking about things which kept him sane, his shoulders heaving forward and backward; though it sounded more of a forced choke to the other man.

"The night wind keeps me calm, I guess. It helps me cope with my nightmares." The same answer for the same question. Juuzou knew he had repeated those words from a day ago, and he never could figure out why, but he'd play along with it. He'd never cease to give him a duplicated response and expression, as though mocking the inquiry again and again.

Hanbee presented him with a skeptical stare, one he had been accustom to giving when he finished talking about obvious lies. He swallowed the clump, gave out a closed up sigh, and blinked.

"Y-Yes. It is indeed quite peaceful but, as I said, this can't go on for eternity, Suzuya-senpai. You know that, right?"

"I can fix this." And he'd said it with a tone full of failing and false determination with straight-across brows, a grim line on his mouth, and a dazed out pair of eyes; losing his once sentimental smile. He'd replay it inside his mind until he believed the reassuring words, when he knew well those were nothing but an imaginary comfort for his disturbed perspective of the world.

 _You always say that but you still found yourself standing at the very brink of the building, your toes centimeters away from coming in contact with the cement below if it weren't for the painted railings. A tragic excuse of security, when you know how easy it is to climb over it and jump forward where you'll meet an unlikely fate, far worse than your current situation. What's stopping you?_

A crackling and apprehensive commotion ran around in circles amongst the fraction of white lilies, of the once carved figure of a boy with sickeningly pure hair. Twins of red spiders intertwined with the memento of vertical dried up lines, the impure hue contrasted against delicate thighs. The collision of gashed, ripped open layers of skin and fractured joints of _sharply drawn fingers_ , all came crashing. A pair of nonexistent tiny hands wrapped around the raven-haired investigator.

 _You think you got this all figured out, when in reality, there's nothing there but a vast of suppressed traces of crimes and uncalled murders. Your hands will always be embellished with the once exuberant forms of the ones you deprived of life. You're no different from Mama._

He let his chipped lips form a slight grin, his bony shoulders vibrated in contrariety to his black long-sleeved polo shirt. A low snicker exited him, shaking his head in amusement. He let his bangs shield his ominous eyes away from the rest of the heart-warming environment.

The white-haired boy's expression reflected his menacing stare. _Juuzou, that's not your name. You got it all wrong. That's not really who you are. Why do you keep up with this fake identity? We both know the true meaning behind those numerous corpses of ghouls, the burst of adrenaline upon seeing the dreaded looks on their faces, and the smell of fresh blood splashing against our arms._

Juuzou's grin stretched wider. _Rei-chan is being stupid again. Of course not._

A far-off growl erupted from the abyss of his subconscious, his tone vicious and angry. _You're doing everything wrong. Remember what Mama said? You'll end up like the others if you don't do the job right, you piece of trash. Piece of worthless, shitty, ungrateful child. Toughen up._

A loud and mocking laugh leaked out from Juuzou, causing the tall man beside him to look with widened eyes, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"Suzuya-senpai . . .?"

He threw his head back, beaming at him, his grin as wide as a Cheshire cat's. "I'm not talking to you, silly!"

Hanbee blinked and parted his lips slightly. "Pardon . . .?"

Juuzou let out a sigh and turned his gaze fully at him, "You're really not going to drop this, are you?"

The man stayed silent at this, tempted to scratch the back of his neck in confusion. He watched as his mentor hummed a low pitch, swaying his head from side to side, smiling to himself in content, as though the multiple descending bad flashbacks hadn't happen.

 _We are one and the same, Juuzou. We are alike in very different ways. Because for one, I am you, as you are me._ Ruby threads of shining deceitful whispers, malicious empty threats, and a coat of fabrication on a clean spirit.

 _I don't spit out lies like you. Your words bear nothing but intents to break me apart. I have news for you, Rei-chan. It's never going to work. How many times have I told you that?_ With discreet eyes and a mocking smile placed on his face, he had silenced the roaring little boy and pushed him back down into the pits of his messed up consciousness.

"Not so alike now, huh?" he murmured under his breath and sneered.

He'd always win in a fight against him. _Always._

"Where's Mizuki?" Juuzou asked. He bent down and shook away his newly-washed hair in a back and forth motion, droplets of water marking a dot at some places.

Mizurou fixed his collar, shifting slightly against the tight lock. "She said she was going out for a walk. But it's been two hours since she left."

"Did she even have breakfast?" Mikage replied, setting his book down on the glass table.

Hanbee looked down at the half-eaten cereal with concern spreading across his face. He placed a finger on his chin, inspecting the food, as though it would reveal the unanswered questions to them. He looked back to his comrades and pursed his lips. "Perhaps she's in trouble?"

Nakarai let out a sigh and threw a spare glance at Hanbee, "Let's not jump into conclusions. The woman's probably lost her way back, or taking care of something important. She'll be fine."

Mizurou raised a brow. "And if she's really in danger . . . ?"

The blond closed his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation and opened them back, staring straight at Mizurou. "What kind of danger would she be in? Swallowed her saliva and choked to death?"

 _"Very funny."_

"Let's not claw each others' throats now. Mizuki-san probably took her time, need a few seconds to ease her mind. I mean, she was a bit tense last night," Mikage finished, eyeing the two.

"R-Right. But there is also a possibility that she may need our help. Perhaps we should go and look for her?" Hanbee said as his brows met together into a frown. His stare went to Juuzou, who was busy fumbling with the buttons on his black shirt to worry about Mizuki.

"I told you, she's fine," Nakarai repeated, hardening his words and growing impatient with each minute wasted.

Mizurou glided a hand through his clothes, straightening out the wrinkled parts. "She told me she'll be back for a few minutes. What's taking her so long then?"

Nakarai lowered his body and tied his shoelaces, muttering a few words of how they were going to be late for the meeting, making sure they reached his own ears only. He finished with a sigh and composed himself, glancing at Mizurou with skeptical eyes.

Juuzou let out a sweet hum and ran a palm through his tangled dark locks. He took his red bobby pins and clasped each one to their normal place. He grinned at his reflection and faced the rest of the investigators, hands placed behind him and mouth set on a small smile. "Are you all done? We've only got a few minutes left."

"Suzuya-senpai, Mizuki-san's still not back. What do you suggest we do?" Hanbee frantically asked, his gaze moving back and forth, hands clenched in front of him.

He blinked, confused at first then his eyes traveled towards the ceiling, lost in complete thought. " _Hmm._ Well, did you tell her about the meeting with Investigator Houji today?"

The tall man nodded. "Yes, I informed her last night. Though I'm a bit unsure of what she thinks about it. She was oddly quiet when I told her." His head hung slightly.

Juuzou's smile stretched into a grin. "Then there's nothing to worry about. As long as she knows, she'll be fine," he turned his back to them, "She knows what she's doing. Let's go before Houji-san gives me another scolding again."

"But . . ." Hanbee trailed off, taking a step forward to the small investigator. "What if something bad really did happen to her? How will we know if she's safe? Suzuya-senpai –"

"Listen," Juuzou stopped in his tracks, his face masked, as he proceeded to take a pace back, and looked over his shoulder. "She's a twenty-year old woman. She can handle herself."

The three investigators exchanged stares, as Hanbee sealed his lips shut. Nakarai dusted off the imaginary dirt on his clothes, pretending to look busy, all the while glancing at his mentor with uncertainty in his dark eyes. He fixed his hair and cleared his throat, in an attempt to clear the gusty atmosphere.

"Now that's settled, we should get going. Investigator Houji is probably waiting already; we don't want to make a bad impression," Nakarai said, and walked past his muted comrades with a raised chin. He held the door knob and twisted it open. ' _We've already done that enough.'_

Juuzou nodded in agreement. "Of course! Wouldn't want that man to ramble about us being late," he finished with an ear-splitting smile. He strode with enthusiasm in his veins and headed out of the door, ignoring the burning holes of his companions.

The rest followed, with Hanbee being the last to move. The lanky man gave out a quiet sigh filled with vagueness and hesitation towards his superior's actions. He stepped out of the threshold with a hunched over head, feeling a pair of red eyes watching his every move.

Juuzou stirred in his seat inside the air-conditioned cab, leaning his head against the window, and gazing outside right as the vehicle started to move. His mind wandered towards the unknown location of Mizuki, thinking about the possible places she could've gone off to.

 _'The park? The zoo? The donut shop? How annoying. She's making my job harder with her going round in circles in Tokyo.'_

He bit his lower lip in annoyance at the idea of being told off by the upper branch directors of his slip-up, if Mizuki were to be declared missing, as if his past mistakes weren't enough to vindicate how much of a lousy person he is already. He sighed in a loud voice, groaning internally, and slouched down the soft cushion. He seemed to be getting in a lot of trouble because of a ranked two investigator.

' _She's still my responsibility after all,'_ he looked away from the blurry streets, ' _what is that woman up to?'_

Juuzou despised apologizing as much as the next person who's at the same level of stubbornness as him, especially to things he can't control and pointless reasons. He'd say it with a dry mouth and sarcasm dripping in his tone, as though speaking in front a crowd with a mouthful speech, full of dull and false hope for a supposed change.

He'd never say those two degrading words, even if it meant for the destruction of the universe. It tasted funny coming from his mouth, a foreign word, rarely spoken, as though testing a different and new flavor. If it weren't for his old partner, the possibilities of him being as hotheaded would've increased, and so as his morality would've lowered.

Though if it were the other way around, he'd despised it even more if the person, clearly at fault, refused to apologize for his wrong doing towards him. _How utterly despicable he truly was._

He stared ahead at the frowning investigator before him, with a bowed down Hanbee sputtering rushed and stuttered regrets, and made-believe excuses. He rolled his eyes and walked to the nearest chair and made himself comfortable, leaning back and placing his feet under the large table.

"It's fine, Abara. Please take your seats so we can proceed to the meeting. We have much to discuss regarding the incidents." Investigator Houji said, and settled himself in front of them. He laid out the confidential files on top of the desk and cleared his throat.

He scanned the room and noticed a missing person. "It appears Ranked Two Investigator Mizuki is not here today. Where is she? I hope there is a reasonable explanation for her absence," he stated, eyeing Juuzou through his peripheral vision.

"Mizuki-san is –"

"She'll be here soon. She overslept because of the amount of work she had to complete last night. Please accept _my sincere apologies,_ Houji-san," Juuzou sent him a small smile and looked away faster than an escaped thief before the man caught him.

The man shook his head, and exerted a sigh. "Anyway, residences found several dead bodies on the 20th ward this morning. The same alley they discovered the rotting corpses of the investigators," he grabbed a photo behind the folder, "The body belonged to a woman in her twenties, along with two different women, both in mid-thirties, at about before dawn."

Nakarai raised a hand, "Pardon my intrusion, May I conclude something?"

He signaled for him to continue. The blond then lifted the paper up to his chin, "The deceased investigators' time of death was assumed to be also around the same time. Could there be a possibility they're hunting hours are set before sunrise?"

"Yes, it's safe to assume a probability," he paused and looked down, "Though it hasn't been confirmed yet, the ghouls were said to be the Zodiac Brothers, based on their way of killing and speculations. Have you talked about this?"

Mikage glanced at the brunet with knowing eyes. "Mizurou mentioned the brothers to us during the conversation we had. Please do the honors and inform us with what you remembered."

His brows furrowed at the slightest and quirked his lips downward, hesitating and burning Mikage's remains inside his mind. "It's a faint memory. I only heard the story from my mentors back in the academy."

"I do have the files with me, but I'd like to hear your opinions as well. Please don't spare any details, Investigator Mizurou," the man replied with a smile plastered on his face.

Mizurou inhaled a large amount of air, and prepared himself. He stood up from his seat, and held the evidences with slight sweaty hands. "The brothers were on a rampage eight years ago, in the same ward for about three to four months, with them being ranked as S ghouls. Of course, their killing procedures are taking one's center organ, along with a few entrails."

His other hand went to the back of his head, confused and unsure. "But it came to a stop when apparently; one of the brothers was taken and went missing," his brows wrinkled, "I don't know which one of them, though. I hope this was a bit helpful, even if it's vague and theorized," he sat back down.

Houji nodded. "What you said was indeed true, Mizurou. However, I have to add a few details regarding their way of murdering. While it's correct about their main target being the heart, there is also a recent analysis concerning their victims," he leaned his head forward, "Do you have an idea?"

Juuzou bit back a scoff. The pressure and heat inside the small room was finally causing an effect to him, as mild and greasy sweat rose through his forehead, wiping it away with an effortless swipe. His ears were filled with the whirring of the ceiling fan, bringing no comfort whatsoever to the steaming investigator. Then, he blinked, comparing to a once drunk man, the aftermath of his late night thoughts and the debris of his collapsing lungs getting into his senses, as he tugged on his loose collar with one finger.

He stretched his arms wide, fought back a yawn from escaping, and he positioned both his elbows on the glass. Crimson eyes gazed at the hardened expressions upon their faces, with each pair of eyes running back and forth on the thin sheets. He was not one for talking when it came to this type of situation; frankly he was never fond of meetings from the start. Though he did redeem himself for his good ears and sharp intuition; and blessed with a distinct nose, resembling that of a wolf's capability to smell out danger.

"Suzuya, please participate. We need your assistance as well." The elder man's voice boomed, like an approaching firework in the midst of a tranquil evening, observing his actions through his peripheral vision.

Juuzou glanced at him for a second, before lazily went to the pile of documents below, a look of disinterest clear in his eyes. "From what I can tell, these ghouls are nothing but a nuisance, causing havoc just for the fun. But it's weird how they only victimize women, excluding the investigators that is."

"That's odd, considering they're not usually picky when it comes to choosing preys," Houji said and slipped out a file, with bits of dust covering its surface, the once clean white quality had faded to a faint yellow grunge texture, "As a matter of fact; the number of women they have slaughtered was at a minimum rate, mostly cannibalizing criminals."

"Criminals? Can you elaborate further about this?" Nakarai's eyes held a glint of knowing, as though his suspicions were getting the proof he wanted.

"As what you all know, they're notorious for devouring hearts, and as what we concluded now, supposedly women as well. But eight years ago, the only targets they have set their eyes upon were loose criminals. Not a single record was shown and saved about them harming an innocent. Still, a behavior such as that wasn't tolerated." The man with a slick combed-back hair replied.

Mizurou stole a quick glance at the blond, his brown and swooped hair swaying slightly. "Are they trying to send a message?"

"What kind of message exactly?" Hanbee asked, the dent lines between his brows visible.

"Revenge."

All heads turned to the source of the voice, a slight puzzled façade evident on their faces. The elder man narrowed his eyes into slits, blinking once, and then a shuffling sound as he shifted on his seat. "I don't believe you're making any sense, Suzuya. Can you explain it more clearly?"

"Revenge . . . ?"

Nakarai lowered his lid and quirked the edge of his lips downward. "Are you hinting at something?"

"Suzuya-senpai? I don't understand. Why would they want revenge?"

Juuzou closed his eyes and smiled. "It's only natural they want revenge for their lost brother. I mean, he was taken right? Surely they want to avenge the death of their sibling. It's like the circle of life . . . or something."

"You are forgetting one major detail, Suzuya." Houji said, his use of tone stern and strong, as though he was scolding a child. He averted his gaze to the rest of the investigators, the atmosphere as eerie as the silence inside a haunted mansion. He inhaled a large portion of air and sighed.

"The CCG wasn't the one who abducted one of the brothers."

The absolute stillness fell amongst the men inside the occupied room, as heavy as the hands of death, and as immobile as an affair caught in the act. Aghast collapsed on the four members' shoulders, as their state of minds were tangled in labyrinth, a faint breathing being the only sound emitted between the thick clouds of doubt.

The raven-haired investigator's closed eyes were concealed by the strands of hair on his forehead. He found himself leaning down on the glass table, his jumbled theories all coming together. The reflection of his hidden eyes was clear, as though staring at a mirror, threads of faults and needles of emotions swirling inside the tiny crimson irises. His lids opened and widened a fraction, as his pupils dilated, and his mouth slightly parted at the connecting strings of memories.

"Is it possible that . . .?" The brunet was the one to speak first, his voice a whisper and urgent.

Houji nodded his head, his eyes devoid of any sentiment. "Yes, the brother was –"

A burst echoed and halted the tension. The clicking sound of heels against the cream-colored tiles reverberated within the boundaries of the four walls. A woman stepped inside with a crumpled file grasped on her hand, shaking at the slightest.

Most heads turned to the root of the sudden noise, with Juuzou's forehead remained glued on the table, as if he knew who the intruding person was. His ears perked at the sharp drawn breath from across him, and resisted the urge to look up. He sighed, barely audible and relaxed at the fading distress inside the room.

"Rank Two Investigator Yukimura, I hope you have a reasonable explanation as to why you're late."

Mizuki gasped and bowed, "Please forgive me, Special Class Investigator Houji. I was taking care of some important manners regarding the discussion today," she let out one last pant before her shoulders heaved down, smoothening out her dark pencil skirt.

Juuzou tilted his head and peeked at her through the gaps between his hairs. The first thing he caught a glimpse at was how her once neat braid had been disheveled and tousled, with thin strands of black sticking out, the tie barely keeping hold at the tips. The crescent moons under her eyes had darkened against her fair skin and the hollowed lines on her previously unwrinkled white shirt was noticeable.

"Are you saying you have new information in relation to the Zodiac Brothers?" Nakarai asked, trailing his gaze to her, as he watched her took a seat beside Mizurou.

She budged and dragged her chair closer to the border of the desk, clearing her throat and settled the record down, in a swipe-like motion, as though throwing a deck of cards. "Here, is a file containing the recent activities of the Zodiac Brothers. There's also an image taken fresh from the scene."

"You mean the women who died earlier?" Mikage reached out and opened the folder, seizing out one of the black and white photos.

"No. It's a body of a dead man from the 20th ward, the work of those ghouls. It was taken just a few minutes ago," she replied, her fists clutching her skirt below the table.

Hanbee blinked and drew his brows together, "A few minutes, you said?"

"That's impossible. How did you get such images so quickly?" Nakarai interrupted. He crossed his arms over his chest at her statement, "How were you able to obtain the information?"

"I have my sources," she said in a rushed tone, "Look if we're going to argue over irrelevant matters, we're going to be stuck here the whole morning. Best, if we get this over and done so we can start the investigation." Mizuki bit the wall of her cheeks, her heart pounding fast and hard inside her ribs.

"No. I need answers now. Is that your purpose for being absent this morning? Because you were in the 20th ward gathering false information?" his voice was dripping with venom, showing no mercy to the woman from the other side.

Her sweaty palms shook against the fabric of her clothes. "You have no proof that this data is false. I'm only trying to help gain more knowledge against the ghouls we're currently facing."

"Nakarai, maybe if –"

"Both of you quiet. Please restrain yourselves from each other's throats. This is a meeting, which means this is no place for bickering and childish quarrels," Houji's gaze moved to the blond, "Don't throw a fit inside here, Nakarai. I will have Yukimura explain herself."

He fought back a scoff and looked away.

"Now Yukimura, as what you have said and presented, these ghouls attacked a person a while ago in the 20th ward. And you happened to witness the fresh dead body of the man, and immediately recorded the incident. Is that what you're implying?" The man said, staring straight at her eyes.

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, Investigator Houji."

"You went to the 20th ward? Why didn't you tell us?" Mikage asked.

"I didn't want to trouble you all. My apologies."

Houji sighed and glanced at Juuzou, whose position still hadn't stirred. "You could have at least informed your squad leader."

"At what time did you found the body?" Nakarai intervened.

"Around six-thirty."

 _Ah. That's unusual._ Juuzou clicked his tongue and removed his head from the fog-covered glass. He inclined his head towards her direction, and gave her a side glance. He observed her messy and anguished demeanor, opposing her general and cold appearance, as though something was bugging her being. And he was bound to know what, no matter the consequences lurking at the peak of her fingertips.

"But that would contradict everything we have discussed," Hanbee said.

"We can't be certain about these files yet. After all, this was taken out of the blue and presented all of a sudden." The space between the blonds' inner brows creased in disbelief.

"I'll have them proven and scanned, no need to worry." Houji replied.

Mizuki's shoulders jerked. "P-Pardon?"

"We need to justify your files, Yukimura," his eyes flashed to hers, "No need to be defensive if your investigations were indeed accurate."

She glided her tongue across her lower teeth. "Of course, Investigator Houji."

"Seeing that we have all discussed the important cases, you are all dismissed. We will have another meeting as soon as you are all finished examining the crime scene. Keep the rest of the data and talk about it. The investigation will start early tomorrow morning. Thank you for your cooperation." Houji dismissed them with a hand, taking a swift glimpse at Juuzou.

"And, Yukimura, I will be keeping the folder you brought."

Mizuki turned his head to him, his hold tightened around the reports, stretching it out to the investigator with a hesitant look in her eyes, "Of course."

"Thank you," he grabbed and slipped it inside the metal cabinet.

The screeching of iron chairs resonated and footsteps clinked, as well as the sound of paper against paper. Juuzou exhaled a loud and relieved sigh, following the others from behind with his hands placed in his pockets, a bored expression on his face. As he lifted a foot angled outside the door, the mention of his name made him stop midway.

"Suzuya, I need you to stay for a minute. I have something to ask you."


End file.
